New Delhi: A broad coalition of citizens including writers, filmmakers, women’s rights activists, economists, journalists, academics, lawyers, artists, faith leaders, trade unionists and representatives of people’s movements has issued a nationwide appeal urging all communities in Manipur to “step back from the edge” as the state’s protracted conflict enters what they describe as “a wider and more dangerous phase.”
Released on the 51st commemoration of India’s Political Emergency, the appeal warns that the violence, which began in May 2023 between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, is increasingly drawing in Naga communities, raising fears of a broader ethnic conflagration. The signatories argue that reports of abductions, killings, retaliatory mobilisation, forced displacement, shutdowns and deepening mistrust across the hills and valley signal not only a humanitarian emergency but also a grave breakdown of constitutional governance and civic life.
Describing Manipur as “a test of the Indian republic’s constitutional and moral character,” the appeal mourns the loss of lives across all communities, Kuki-Zo, Meitei, Naga and others while acknowledging the distinct experiences of grief, displacement, insecurity and trauma suffered by each. It cautions against reducing the conflict to competing narratives of victimhood and instead calls attention to deeper structural issues, including state failure, militarisation, impunity, disputes over land and resources, political manipulation and the erosion of democratic institutions.
The citizens’ coalition expresses particular concern over reports of civilians being abducted and held by armed groups, stressing that hostages and detainees must be released unconditionally and treated in accordance with basic humanitarian principles. At the same time, it acknowledges recent interventions that secured the release of civilians through community mediation, describing such efforts as evidence that dialogue and restraint remain possible despite widespread mistrust.
The appeal also warns against attempts to reframe the crisis as a conflict between tribal communities or between religious groups, arguing that such narratives obscure the original constitutional questions surrounding land rights, minority protections, hill-valley relations and state accountability. It cautions that allowing the conflict to fragment further could undermine decades of peace-building efforts across the North East, including negotiated political processes such as the Indo-Naga peace talks.
Calling for immediate action, the signatories urge all armed actors to halt attacks on civilians, end abductions, disclose the whereabouts of missing persons, respect places of worship and allow unhindered humanitarian access. They also call upon women’s organisations across Naga, Meitei and Kuki societies to once again play their historic role in peace-building and reconciliation.
The appeal demands that the Union and Manipur governments act impartially to protect lives, recover looted and illegal weapons, investigate killings, prevent further armed mobilisation and restore public confidence in constitutional institutions. It further seeks a credible, time-bound peace process involving Kuki-Zo, Meitei, Naga, Pangal, Mising, Hmar and other affected communities, with meaningful participation by women, church bodies, tribal institutions, student organisations, human rights groups, displaced persons and independent mediators.
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The coalition also calls for an independent judicially monitored investigation into all major incidents of violence since May 2023, including killings, sexual violence, arson, destruction of places of worship, enforced disappearances, hostage-taking and custodial abuse. It seeks the tracing of all missing persons, dignified return of mortal remains, psychosocial support for survivors and rehabilitation based on need rather than ethnicity.
Beyond official action, the appeal urges churches, temples, mosques, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, journalists, artists, teachers and trade unions to create local peace initiatives, inter-community dialogues and humanitarian solidarity networks. It also calls on media organisations and social media users to refrain from circulating unverified or inflammatory content that could further inflame tensions.
Rejecting both violence and collective blame, the citizens’ statement concludes that peace cannot be built through revenge or the demonisation of entire communities. It appeals to the people of Manipur to reject “the script of mutual destruction” and to the rest of India not to avert its gaze from the crisis. “Manipur is not a distant borderland,” the appeal states.
The appeal has been facilitated by the South Asian Solidarity Collective, Friends of the Earth (India) and the Delhi Solidarity Group.
